Columbia affordable housing renovations up for vote at City Council

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

In September of 2022, the City passed a resolution, which expressed support for the replacement of the downtown public housing units on Park Avenue and committed up to $2 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding for the Park Avenue Project.

At Monday's City Council meeting, council members will vote on the $2 million dollar. If approved, the money will go toward fixing several issues with the affordable housing on Park Avenue, which was built in 1964 and has not been adequately kept up with.

Jane Williams with Love Columbia said Columbia needs a lot more affordable housing, but the first step is preserving what we have. 

“It would be exciting to have these properties renovated so that we could keep this property available for many many years to people in our community who are low income.” She said.

Columbia Housing Authority’s current plan for these units includes the demolition of all 70 units to build 79 new, accessible, energy-efficient units. 

There will be 22 one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units, 15 three-bedroom units, and 4 four-bedroom units.

If approved, the money will be provided in the form of a forgivable loan that will ensure the housing remains affordable for a 20-year period